


the words melt everyone (else)

by ElasticElla



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: (references nothing in depth), Cannibalism, F/F, Femslash February, Pirates, Sirens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 09:23:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9881711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: “Are you going to eat me?” she spits out; but she doesn’t sound afraid, more angry, tiny sharp teeth on display.Maia raises an eyebrow, “Before a first date or at least learning your name? I’m not that type of girl."





	

**Author's Note:**

> a spin-off from the darker [clizzy sirens au](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9826082), it is not necessary to read that one to get this one
> 
> and as always i'm on [tumblr](http://bizeke.tumblr.com/) if you wanna chat :)

It all begins because Isabelle can’t keep fifty souls under her song at once. Exactly forty-nine seems to be her limit, and the fiftieth soul dives into the water. Maia is curious- the fault of many a siren before her- as most mundanes’ instincts would be to try and turn the ship around or yell at their fellow people. But this girl has abandoned ship, into the clearly dangerous water no less, and Maia is curious. 

“Keep practicing,” she says to Iz. “Once you’ve perfected this lot, fifty will be easier.” 

Iz smirks, dropping her song briefly, “Going to have a bit of lunch are we?” 

Maia rolls her eyes, “I’ll be back.” 

“You enjoy playing with your food too much,” Iz teases, and Maia flips her off before swimming towards the pirate. It takes a few minutes to find her already by the shoreline. Maia can admit she does enjoy toying with humans sometimes, doesn’t want to make it easier from using her magic. 

She isn’t prepared for a white haired beauty crouched on a rock, a knife in each hand and face in a scowl. 

“Are you going to eat me?” she spits out; but she doesn’t sound afraid, more angry, tiny sharp teeth on display. 

Maia raises an eyebrow, “Before a first date or at least learning your name? I’m not that type of girl. My name is Maia, what’s yours?” 

The girl’s lips twitch, but her hands don’t shake, “Gretel. I know what you are.” 

Maia swims a little closer, magic itching underneath her skin. “Oh yeah?” 

“Siren,” she says. “But your song won’t work on me.” 

And Maia has never been able to resist a challenge, especially not from pretty pirates. “If you’re wrong I’m taking you to my island.” 

Gretel snorts, “In your stomach? Cute. If you can’t, I want a boat, and guaranteed safety to land.” 

Maia cocks her head, this slip of a girl genuinely thinks she can withstand an immortal’s call. She’s probably faced off against sirens before and gotten away, and clearly Iz’s song for treasure and gold hadn’t moved her. 

“Deal,” Maia agrees. Her song starts soft, low, evocative. It’s far more specific than she usually dares, of how she wants to lick the salt water from Gretel’s skin, drag pleasure from her body until she’s so sated all there is to do is sleep, and keep her safe nestled in her cave, the world unable to touch her. The last bit is too much, she knows it as it passes her lips. Gretel’s arousal is gaining indignation as she snaps free, and ah, she’d forgotten how much less possessive mundanes could be. 

Gretel’s knives click beneath her throat, cold steel, and Maia really shouldn’t find her so compelling. Her eyes take after the night sky, her hair with the stars’ light itself, and Maia is but a creature of the ocean, will always be pulled to the celestial. 

“My boat,” she demands. 

“Will you trust me to carry you?” Maia asks, already expecting Gretel’s answer. 

The sharp, “ _No_ ,” is still fast enough to annoy her. Maia could have killed her song or no when this all began. The idea is increasingly less desirable, and Maia doesn’t want to think about why that may be. 

“Fine, let us swim to it,” she says, and Gretel raises an eyebrow. 

“Guaranteed safety you said, it’d be poor form if you drowned before even reaching your boat.” 

Gretel almost smiles, dives into the water before Maia can be sure. The way back is silent for Gretel’s sake, the proud mundane struggling to swim with all her steel. She’s still moving, and doubtless knows her offer still stands, so Maia doesn’t insist on carrying her. 

It takes an hour for them to reach the boat, Gretel’s teeth flashing anytime she so much as opened her mouth. It reminds Maia of baby sea lions barking at you when you sit on their rocks. Maia spots Iz happily munching away on a corpse, and with resignation she throws her awareness over the boat. Not one soul is living, and Gretel’s already guessed that judging by her thunderous expression. 

“Was this your little plan? You knew at least two people are needed to navigate so you-”

Maia interrupts her before she can finish the ridiculous spiel, “I offered to bring you here an hour ago.” 

Gretel’s face hardens, and Maia sighs, supposes throwing that in her face right after she found out they were all dead wasn’t particularly tactful. “Look, I’m sorry about your friends-”

“They weren’t my friends,” Gretel grumbles. “My mom sent- it doesn’t matter. I can’t sail that ship alone and you said you’d get me to shore safely.” 

Maia stops the words that come to mind first- that there was no time limit on that offer, and that Maia could carry her to any shore far faster than an old ship. “Alright,” she says, “I’ve never sailed before though so some instruction may be necessary.” 

“ _What!_ ” Izzy’s yell cracks from her spot in the sea, swimming over in a blink. “For how long? You said you’d teach me how to sleepsing.”

Gretel looks appalled at the prospect, and Maia feels an awkward laugh teasing the back of her throat. “Iz you love discovering things,” she says, and turns to Gretel. “How far is your home? A moon’s turn in the ship?” 

Gretel shrugs, and Maia takes that as a yes. “I’ll send word if it takes longer, if you get lonely just stay with the Iron Sisters.” 

Iz lights up at that, doubtlessly would have become one were she mundane. Gretel climbs up on the ship, biceps glinting in the dusk, and Maia shakes her head turning back to an all too amused Izzy. 

“Don’t say it.” 

“Say what?” Iz asks coyly, “That you wanna-”

“Be wary Isabelle,” Maia interrupts firmly. “I won’t be here if you get in over your head. Remember the water will always be the safest place. A cautious hungry siren-”

“-lives longer than an impatient glutton, I know Maia. Have fun,” Izzy finishes softly, giving her a hug. 

And with that, Maia climbs aboard her temporary home. 

.

Maia comes to learn three important things about living on the ship soon enough:

1\. There’s no way to just do all the work at the start of the day and relax on the deck afterwards.  
2\. There’s _always_ maintenance to be done and it’s a miracle they’re floating, much less moving at a glacial pace.  
3\. Gretel gets chatty after drinking.

The third one is the most important, the beginning of an easier relationship between them. One night Maia cheats, flavoring the wine with dried fruits, so it’s sweet instead of sour on the tongue. She brings a pitcher and cups out, sitting on the deck beside Gretel and filling them.

Gretel’s lips quirk at the crimson shade, “Blood?” 

“Cute. I wouldn’t be sharing that,” Maia says. 

Gretel tips the cup towards her, clearly sniffing before she drinks. Her eyes widen once she does, “How did you make this?” 

Maia grins, “Siren secret.” 

Gretel snorts, and Maia adds, “I’ll tell you if you tell me how you became a pirate?” 

Gretel agrees slowly, topping off her cup. And that night, alone atop the ocean, gently rocking to and fro, a friendship was solidified. Gretel has stories of a werewolf biting her, of her terrified beneath a new moon, but her shape never shifting. Of a mother that grew afraid, a town when her mother sought confession, and Gretel was sent to the pirates as a bad luck gift. And Maia tells her stories of discovering she was a siren, of things no moral should know. Of how she can speak to the sea’s creatures, how she hunts the vilest of humanity. 

And her smile is crooked as she says, “That day we met. You weren’t like the crew, you were never in danger.” 

Gretel rolls her eyes, playfully shoves her shoulder, “You think very much of yourself for a siren with two knives at her neck. Perhaps you should be grateful I didn’t wish to kill you.” 

“I cannot die so easily,” Maia admits. 

“How do you-” Gretel stops herself, perhaps thinking better of the question. “Well,” she starts again, “if I knew that I wouldn’t have worried about you escorting me all the way home.” 

“Where is home?” Maia asks. “Time is immaterial.” 

Gretel shakes her head, muttering _wild_ before answering. “I don’t know. I don’t want to go back to her or that place- I- how do you know where home is in a new place?” 

“I’m unsure,” Maia admits, and Gretel’s gaze falls. “But, we can travel the world until you find a place you wish to remain.”

Gretel smiles, gentle for a breath, “I’d like that.” 

And so a dolphin is sent to Izzy with impressions of Maia and Gretel traveling further, that Maia is safe and hopes Iz is well. 

No place they’ve found is perfect, and Maia is happy to continue sailing on. They travel until age dares to touch Gretel, the softest of lines upon her forehead. Maia wants to kiss it away, to erase the reminder that Gretel is far more fragile than she looks. It’s no surprise that she’s fallen in love with a girl that could pass as the goddess of the night, all dark and silver and sharp. She’s known from the start, from the very moment she saw her that this one, this one was different. 

The surprise is that Gretel likes her back, sits in her lap one evening. 

“You know my name now.” Gretel says, and before Maia can realize what she’s talking about- in her defense, Gretel is _sitting in her lap_ \- Gretel’s kissing her. Gretel’s kissing her and if she thinks about it too much she’ll ruin it all. 

So she doesn’t. 

Maia just kisses her back, slides a hand down her leg and another in her hair. She could do this forever (she already knew that). She could-

Maia draws back, finally says the sentence she’s been dancing around, “You’re mortal.” 

Gretel raises an eyebrow, “Did I suck all the sense out of your head? That isn’t new.”

“No, I-” Maia swallows, “would you like not to be?”

“I’m not becoming one of the damned,” Gretel says easily. “And the werewolf bite wouldn’t take, what would?” 

It’s a better point than Maia wants to admit. “I know a warlock through the sisters- she helped with some spells before. Would you be willing to see her?” 

Gretel doesn’t respond right away, and Maia thumbs her waist. “You don’t have to answer now, I know this may all be fast-”

“No.” Gretel says, and Maia closes her eyes to hide her reaction. It was a silly thought that Gretel cared as she did. She was a good person, destined for a normal enough life before they met. 

“It isn’t too fast,” Gretel slowly finishes. “I would like to meet her.” 

And Maia grins, holds onto her tight. 

.

The last thing Maia does in water is to send a turtle with impressions to Isabelle, that they’re well and searching for a cure. They find Dot deep in the western lands, living in a small cottage by a wide river. Maia knows it’s quaint, some level of her does. But every step she takes from the water is a reminder she must be going the wrong direction, is practically defenseless in this place. 

“Come in!” Dot calls, before Gretel can knock. 

“She has a bit of the sight,” Maia explains, and Gretel shrugs pushing the door open. 

Dot’s working on a potion, smoke of sea greens and blues being thrown off the cauldron. Maia has a feeling suddenly, that what they want is possible, a wild smile on her lips. 

“Hello girls, your potion for Gretel’s immortality is nearly done.”

Maia could float upon air, joy overtakes her so quick. Gretel would be around forever, or as long as she wanted, and all the past worries from more moon turnings than she can count dissipate. 

Gretel is more wary. “All magic has a price, what is this one?” 

Dot nods, does not smile. “The potion binds you to Maia, she is the one who must bear the cost.”

Dot waves her hand then, the cauldron’s fire going out and the smoke disappearing. She pours a goblet, and the potion itself looks like a stretch of the sky, inky black with tiny pinpricks of light. 

Maia barely has the question formed in her head, and Dot’s answering it. “Yes. This potion can only work on a daughter of the moon, no matter how diluted the blood. This is why you could not transform into a werewolf, or any other such one if you tried.” 

And Maia’s world feels like it’s spinning, for what are the chances that she and Gretel even crossed paths? 

Dot’s smiling now, and her worries quell. “Yes Gretel,” she says without elaborating. 

Gretel takes the goblet, and Dot says, “This will bind the two of you as the gods once did with their mortal lovers. Gretel will share Maia’s immortality.” 

“The cost,” Gretel says, holding the goblet close. 

“Maia, you will be cut off from the seas and all of its creatures. They will not recognize you, nor connect to your mind. Salt water itself will spit you out.” 

“Fresh water?” Maia asks, and Gretel’s eyes are wide. 

“Maia, you can’t- it’s too much.” 

Dot blinks, “Few chose to give up their domains to share power, it is an even trade in many respects.” 

“She didn’t mean it like that,” Maia hastily says. “Will fresh water reject me?” 

“No,” Dot says, but she still looks displeased at Gretel’s words. 

“Then I’m in,” Maia says, squeezing Gretel’s free hand. 

“You’re sure?” Gretel checks, and Maia nods. 

Gretel drinks and drinks, and collapses, goblet rolling away. 

“Easy,” Dot says as Maia catches her, is half through a murder plan for the witch. 

“You didn’t mention this,” Maia growls. 

“She’ll wake soon. It’s a large change for a mortal body to reject time.” Dot pauses, cleaning up with magic. “I have some vampires joining me shortly, I advise you leave.” 

Maia carries Gretel out, and she definitely liked the witch more the last time they met. It’s only Gretel’s steadily pounding heart that keeps her from turning back to attack her as she brings her far from the cottage. Maia follows the river inland, thankful she comes across no souls. 

Gretel awakes at once, where the river has turned to a waterfall, and Maia sets her down. 

“How do you feel?” she asks. 

“New,” Gretel says with a smile and soft kiss. 

“Where do you want to live?” Maia asks, “I know no where we’ve seen has been quite right… we can keep looking?” 

Gretel grins, “I have a confession about that.” 

“Oh?” 

“It only took a few turns of the moon to find my home,” she says. 

Maia laughs, “Which place was it? The island overflowing with kittens?” 

“It’s you,” Gretel says, “home is with you.” 

“You sap,” Maia accuses, but she can’t stop grinning, feels like the luckiest girl in the world.


End file.
